However, Culpan is now reporting that HTC CEO
Cher Wang is currently in Taipei, and that "parts of [HTC's]
HQ [have been] blocked off as evidence [that] the Google deal
[is] to be announced in 1-2 days." (He clarified that this
information has not been verified as of yet.)

He also
tweeted that a local media outlet, Apple Daily, reported that
Google will buy HTC's smartphone business, indicating that its
Vive spinoff - which takes care of the virtual reality side of
the business - will stay independent.

Ad

JUST IN:HTC just announced it's shares will halt trading tomorrow (Thur) pending a major announcement.

Another
report from Focus Taiwan says that the original rumours
mentioned HTC preparing a public space on the second floor of its
headquarters "for a meeting with all staff members or an
announcement of a major strategic reform," so there is a good
chance that the things are linked.

HTC has been struggling for years financially, with shares
falling 94% over the past six years. It would be fitting that a
"major announcement" worth halting trade sharing could be
something as big as a huge, potentially multi-billion
acquisition.

Google has repeatedly expressed its interest in
strengthening its hardware business - lately with the
introduction of its Pixel-branded, self-designed lineup - which
HTC itself has help to manufacture.